Tragic Collision: The Trial and Conviction of Bud Ackerman

Early on May 7, 2023, a road accident called authorities to a deserted street in Greenwood, South Carolina. There, they found Davis McClendon, 46, dead near his BMW sedan. The scene included a mangled car, a shirt, and a shoe, but no other vehicle was involved.

Greenwood County Sheriff’s Investigator Patrick Durkin arrived to record the scene. With significant damage to the fender and front driver’s side wheel, the BMW seemed to have been hit by another vehicle. No vehicle with related damage was found. First responders found McClendon’s body 50 feet from his car, leading them to suspect a hit-and-run.

Meredith Haynie and Megan McGovern, who called 911, provided witness statements. Haynie had been dating McClendon. She said McClendon called her after leaving a club and was at a nearby intersection. Worried after a long silence, Haynie and McGovern went to the scene, where McGovern discovered McClendon’s body.

McClendon was known as a friend to all, including his own friends and those at the retirement home where he worked. Haynie met McClendon at a bar in December 2022. They quickly bonded, especially after Haynie separated from her husband, Bud Ackerman, earlier that year due to marital difficulties.

At the accident site, oil stains and tire tracks led away from the site into the distance, suggesting evidence of another vehicle’s involvement. Investigators followed these clues to Ackerman’s parents’ home, where he had been staying, and noticed his Ford F-250 pickup leaking oil and showing signs of a collision.

Investigators arrested Ackerman after finding traces linking his truck to the scene. Additional data from vehicle systems placed Ackerman near McClendon and Haynie, contradicting his claims of innocence. Ackerman’s lawyer, Jack Swerling, argued that the collision was accidental, citing poor driving conditions. However, the prosecution presented videos and testimonies indicating Ackerman’s deliberate actions.

The trial revealed Ackerman’s attempts to track McClendon and Haynie and presented digital evidence from Ackerman’s truck recorded during the incident. While the defense portrayed Ackerman as a wronged husband, the jury reached a quick verdict.

In September 2024, after significant testimonies and evidence, the jury found Ackerman guilty of McClendon’s murder, and he received a 45-year sentence. The verdict provides some closure and security to Haynie, who continues life without McClendon but with memories of his positive impact.